The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-23
EX-MARSHAL BAZAINE.

Additional Particulars Concerning the At
tempt to Take His Life.
Madrid Special to New York " orld
1t appears from the additional particulars,
which have become known, concerning the stab
bling of the ex-MarshaI Bazaine, that the would
be assassin gained access to his victim by pre-
tending to be newspaper correspondent About
q year ago Nine Bazaine, accompanied by her
younger children, went to Mexico with the OBJ
ject of recovering possession of an estate there,
presented to the exMarshal by Emperor Max
imilian. She left the exMarshal here with their
oldest son, who is serving in the Cazadors regi-
ment of the Spanish army. The ex-Marshal
lives in a small apartment in the Castanella
street with man-servant. Six months ago.
while walking in the Retro, he fell and broke
his leg, since which time he has been confined to
his room, where he generally passed his days
seated in an armchair, receiving but few visi-
tors and living on very small allowance from
his wife. His servant refused to admit the un-
known visitor yesterday, but at length gave
way to his urgent demands to be allowed to see
the ex.Marsha into whose presence he intro
duced him.
Marshal Bazaine is seventy-six years old. He
greatly distinguished nlmSell In the french
campaign in Mexico, and was appointed a mar
shall of France in 1864. In the early part of the
war between France and Germany he was very
prominent. but he soon incurred the lasting i'll
will and contempt of his countrymen by his sur
render of Metz and $50. 600 soldiers to Prince
Frederick Charles after the German forces had
besieged the strongly fortified city for seven
weeks. Prince Frederick Charess force
hardly greater than that commanded by Ba-
zaine. The nation believed him traitor to
their and fear of his life ha fled 70
England right after the captulation of Metz,
where he remained until he was summoned to
Versailles by the military commission of the
National Assembly in 1871.
Serious charges were brought against him,
and he was imprisoned at Versailles for several
months He was then tried by court-martia
over which the Due dAumale presided He
was accused of military incapacity, first. in al
lowing himself to be blockaded at ALL and Sec
ond, in surrenderirg n remarkably strong posi-
ton to force but little superior to his own
He was also accused of the reasonable design of
making himself and his army independent Of
the government of national defense which
France had everywhere accepted. After two
months trial he was found guilty and sentenced
to degradation and death. The court. however,
recommended him to mercy.
President MacMahon commuted the death
penalty to Imprisonment for twenty years in a
fortress Stripped of his dgnties and dis
missed from the army Bazaine was sent to I'M
dergo his sentence on the Isle Sainte Marguerite.
IN the mediterranean near cannes. Here ne
lived for nine months He enjoyed considerable
freedom in the society of his wife and children.
Then his wife visited President MacMahon and
besought him to permit her husband to end his
days IN exile, instead of in prison. Her petition
was coldly refused. and Bazaine then deter
mined. if possible TO escape.
On Sunday evening, Aug. 9. 1874, Mime. Ba
zaine and her cousin rowed noiselessly in a
small boat to the base of the rock on which the
fortress was built Bazaine spent the evening
conversation with his old aid III nm
Colonel VilleJte. The next morning a rope was
found banging from the parapet, and the pris
gone. He had safely reached the
waters edge, and his wife took him in her boa
to small vessel that was near at hand By
daybreak BaZine was out of sight of land. He
was put ashore in Italy, travelled through Switz
erland and Germany to England, and late in
November, 1874 he went to Madrid where hi
has since resided
Four years ago he published book. in which
he described the part he took in the Franco
German war and deliberately def ended his con
duct at Metz.